South African National Defence Force chief Siphiwe Nyanda on Thursday visited three soldiers at Pretoria’s 1 Military hospital who were injured while on peacekeeping duty in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week. One of the patients recounted how he and his colleagues were ambushed.
The government intends to create a ”lot of pressure” within the private banking sector by forcing it match the savings interest rates of the newly launched RSA Retail Bond launched on Friday in Pretoria, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said. The public has the option to purchase one of three bond types.
About 150 family members and friends of alleged mercenaries held in Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea handed over a memorandum addressed to President Thabo Mbeki at the Union Buildings on Tuesday, calling for government intervention. ”I believe my brother is innocent and does not belong there,” said one of the family members.
The leaders of the New National Party and Azanian People’s Organisation got senior posts in the new cabinet unveiled by President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday. New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk becomes Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism while Azanian People’s Organisation leader Mosibudi Mangena got the portfolio of Science and Technology.
South Africa’s first 10 years of democracy have paved the way for solving many of the country’s remaining problems in the next decade, President Thabo Mbeki said after his inauguration on Tuesday for a second term in office. He addressed thousands who had gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria for his induction.
Mbeki takes the oath
Mandela, Mugabe cheered
Pretoria was a hive of activity on Monday with last-minute preparations for Tuesday’s inauguration of President Thabo Mbeki at the Union Buildings and the celebration of South Africa’s 10th year of democracy. With security forces keeping an eye over the city, VIPs have started trickling into Gauteng from all over the world.
Inauguration ‘sullied’ by Mugabe
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As the African National Congress passed the 10-million vote mark on Friday, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said that the turnout for the third democratic elections had been an impressive 76,9%. At present the ANC has 69,6% of the votes counted so far.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/41909/10-X-Logo.gif" align=left>With just over 88,2% of votes captured by early Friday morning, the African National Congress has nearly garnered 70% of the votes. With the preliminary count updated at 3am, the ruling party was heading the national race with 9,39-million of the votes counted, which translates into 69,67% — continuing to make gains on its apparent two-thirds majority.